Earlier this year, Minnesota was named the eighth most energy-efficient state in the nation. The study was conducted by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The report, “The 2011 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard,” presents findings about how each state implements its energy efficiency policies.

Massachusetts took first place as the most energy-efficient state in the country, with California ranking second and New York first. North Dakota landed in last place, with Wyoming and Missouri ranking just a little higher. When you look at a map of the results, there’s an obvious trend: states in the East Coast are leading the way in energy efficiency and states in the middle of the country are dropping by the wayside. In fact, Minnesota is the only state that ranks in the top ten that isn’t located on either the east or west coast of the United States. Minnesota’s ranking has not changed since last year’s report, but its score has improved by five points, unlike California’s which dropped by one and a half points.

The gap between states

The report shows that overall, more money is being invested in energy-efficient technologies and government budgets, for efficiency programs have increased since last year. Unfortunately, the report found that at the same time, the gap between the highest and lowest ranking states is growing. While some states are implementing successful policies, others are doing very little to improve their energy efficiency. The most improved states were Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska, Tennessee, Alabama, and Maryland. Each has improved its overall score and made efforts to meet the energy savings targets set out in the 2008 Energy Efficiency Resources Standards. On the other hand, the ACEEE report found that energy efficiency in the transportation sector was lacking in over half of the states, with some having absolutely no policies to reduce vehicle miles or promote energy-efficient vehicles.

Reduction in overall energy consumption

The findings of the ACEEE report were published just a few weeks prior to another report that looked at the results of improved energy efficiency. The Brattle Group report, “Energy Efficiency and Demand Response in 2020 – A Survey of Expert Opinion” looked at the future benefits of energy efficiency policies that are being implemented now.

The results suggest that energy efficiency is accelerating across the United States but reinforce the belief that some states still have a lot more to achieve than others. The main conclusion of the report is that energy efficiency measures are likely to cause a drop in electricity consumption across the country by around 7.5 to 15 percent by 2020. Also, natural gas consumption is expected to drop by 5 to 10 percent, compared to what it would have been without energy efficiency programs. This is welcome news for advocates of energy efficiency, showing that energy efficiency policies are working and will contribute to a cleaner environment.

Harvard professor says cleaner environment improves the economy

Both reports suggest that implementing energy efficiency programs can save money and achieve a cleaner environment. According to a Harvard professor, this could also help to stimulate economic growth. Professor Dale Jorgeson believes that the Clean Air Act has resulted in raising the gross domestic product of 1.5 percent higher than it would have been in 2010 without the law. This is especially significant in these difficult economic times.

Energy efficiency could be one of the key factors in a successful recovery of the nation’s economy, even though it is no surprise that companies continue to lobby against regulations that increase their operational cost. But without a continued drive towards energy efficiency, the benefits that can be achieved—like less dependency on natural resources and more economic growth—will certainly not materialize.

Olivia Bruman is a freelance travel writer who frequently focuses on green and sustainability issues in her work. She writes on behalf of a number of eco-friendly retailers, including a leading organic mattress retailer.

Are individual states making any progress on energy efficiency? We look at the big picture.